Classes for Parents

High-quality language and literacy environments in the early years promote the development of prerequisite literacy skills such as oral language, phonological awareness, print awareness, and letter recognition. In Language & Literacy Foundations for Young Learners - Online, participants learn how prerequisite literacy and language skills can be taught daily in easy-to-implement, 15-minute lessons that integrate science, social studies, and math.

Research has demonstrated the importance of phonological awareness, letter recognition, and oral language in the acquisition of reading and spelling skills. Once students understand the sound structure of spoken language and can instantly name letters, they are ready to learn how sounds map onto letters. This knowledge builds their ability to decode unfamiliar words. Comprehension is developed through listening and retelling.In Reading Readiness, participants learn 1) the foundational skills that are necessary to become fluent readers and accurate spellers, 2) hands-on, multisensory activities to teach and reinforce these skills, 3) strategies for building instant recognition of words with reliable and unexpected pronunciations, and 4) the importance of explicit and systematic handwriting instruction to spelling and writing.

Oral language is the foundation of comprehension. In the early grades, comprehension is best developed through listening. In Oral Language & Listening Comprehension - Online, participants learn 1) the importance of oral language and listening comprehension to skilled reading comprehension, 2) activities that develop oral language and comprehension, and 3) the elements of narrative and expository text that support comprehension.

In addition to skilled decoding, robust oral language and vocabulary, boundless world knowledge, adequate linguistic development, and sufficient working memory, students need to learn how to think about their thinking to understand what they are reading. That is, students need metacognitive skills for critical reading of narrative and expository texts. In Developing Metacognitive Strategies, participants learn 1) activities that increase oral language, 2) strategies for increasing vocabulary and background knowledge, 3) summarization activities, 4) questioning techniques, and 5) progress monitoring for fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.